JOE Simpson hopes catching the eye on the big stage might give his England chances a timely nudge in the right direction.

The Wasps scrum half has been in fine fettle recently and admits he’s whetting his lips at the throught of Twickenham’s hard ground and open spaces.

He said: “The pitch is looking amazing, the stadium is as amazing as ever.

“I think Twickenham is the best stadium in the world. It’s the home of rugby and it’s where you want to be playing. You want to be testing yourself on the biggest pitches and at the best stadiums.

“We want to be playing rugby here and testing ourselves. It’s an important match and the players who thrive at them are the ones that go on to play international rugby.

“You know there’s a bit extra if you perform well against the top teams in the big matches. That gives you an extra impetus and extra kudos.”